


W is for Wynne

by chileancarmenere



Series: Alistair Alphabet [23]
Category: Dragon Age
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-08
Updated: 2012-05-08
Packaged: 2017-11-05 01:12:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/400284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chileancarmenere/pseuds/chileancarmenere





	W is for Wynne

Alistair methodically snaps branches into smaller splinters and feeds them to the fire, building up the flames until the camp is suffused with a warm, smoky glow. Wynne sits before it, her arms around her knees in a strangely girlish pose.

Well, it looks strange to him, anyway. He can never shake the ‘grandmother’ association his mind makes when he sees her.

“So, you never told me anything more about this son of yours,” he says, more to pass the time than anything. The night is cold, and early-morning watch can be exhausting.

Wynne chuckles. “That’s right. I didn’t. What makes you think I’m going to be saying anything now?”

“I…well, just asking,” he finishes lamely. “You said I reminded you of him.”

“You remind me of what I like to think he grew into,” she says quietly, her eyes fixed on the flames. “I don’t know what happened to him. Any child born to a mage belongs to the Chantry.”

“What do you mean?”

“They don’t allow mages to raise their own children. I suppose the threat of becoming an abomination will do that. They take the children and send them to a Chantry, to be raised as priests or templars.”

“That’s…awful.”

“It…makes sense.” Wynne heaves a sigh. “For the longest time, I lived for the moments when templars took their helmets off. I spent hours listening to them murmur to each other. I thought – I was foolish, but I thought that I might have found him.” Her voice breaks, just a little. “I would have given anything to see him once. I would gladly have given my life for that.”

Alistair digs a wooden splinter into the dirt. He has a lot he’d like to say right now, stuff like _it’s not foolish, I spent my entire childhood imagining that my mother would come for me_ and _though I know Goldanna hates me and Cailan is dead, I keep hoping for family_ and even _I know what you mean by giving your life to catch one glimpse of his face, because I’d happily trade places for Duncan to be alive and smiling here now_.

But he doesn’t say any of that. It turns out that Wynne is a lot braver than he is. Maybe Alistair will charge straight into battle with a fearless shout, but he doesn’t have the courage to bring his ghosts into the light.


End file.
